Phyllodoce empetriformis, the pink mountain heather or pink mountain heath, is found in mountainous regions of western North America in the Northwestern United States and Western Canada. Its southern range includes the Klamath Range in northern California and Oregon.
Phyllodoce empetriformis is a low matting shrub with distinctive leaves which roll under themselves so tightly they resemble pine needles. It bears attractive flowers in shades of pink and purple.
This common (in its native bioregion) evergreen alpine shrub bears its red-purple flower clustered at the end of the stem in leaf axils. The flowers of Phyllodoce glanduliflora, for comparison, are yellow or green-white. In Phyllodoce empetriformis, the campanulate corolla is twice as long as the calyx (compared to Phyllodoce gladuliflora, which has a corolla just barely twice as long as the calyx and is urn-shaped). Its sepals and filaments are glabrous or barely hairy (compared to Phyllodoce glanduliflora which has pubescent sepals and filaments).
| Requirement | |
|---|---|
| Hardiness | 3,4,5,6 |
| Heat Zones | 3,4,5,6 |
| Climate Zones | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 |
| Plant Type | Shrubs |
| Plant Family | Ericaceae |
| Exposure | Partial Sun |
| Season of Interest | Summer, Early Summer, Mid Summer, Late Summer |
| Height | < 1' |
| Spread | < 1' |
| Water Needs | High |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Soil Type | Acid |
| Characteristics | Dry Soil Tolerant, Rocky Soil Tolerant |
| Garden Styles | Coastal Garden |
| Planting Place | Banks and Slopes |